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Greens preference deal won't affect Melbourne

Greens leader Richard Di Natale says a decision by the Liberal Party to preference his party under Labor won't affect Greens seats in Melbourne.

Greens Deputy Leader and Federal Member for Melbourne Adam Bandt
Australian Greens deputy leader Adam Bandt is confident he can beat Labor in the seat of Melbourne. (AAP)

Malcolm Turnbull's decision to preference the Greens last won't affect their ability to win seats in Melbourne, says Greens leader Robert Di Natale.

"We are in great shape to win some of these inner Melbourne seats," a defiant Senator Di Natale told reporters in Melbourne on Sunday.

He was responding to the prime minister's announcement that the Liberals will urge their voters to put Labor ahead of the Greens in every lower house seat.

Labelling the decision a "dirty deal" Senator Di Natale says it's akin to the Coles and Woolies of politics - trying to squeeze other players out of the game.

A 13 per cent swing to the Greens in the seat of Melbourne handed Adam Bant the win last election, and Senator Di Natale said similar swings could be replicated in seats of Wills, Batman, Higgins and Melbourne Ports.

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"There is a mass of people within the inner city seats who are desperate to vote Green and tell both the old parties that they won't have a bar of their conservative, backward looking agenda," Senator Di Natale said.

Labor is yet to announce what it will put on its how-to-vote cards.


2 min read

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Updated

Source: AAP



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